Tag Archives: sunset river gallery

Reception-Rachel Sunnell Solo Show

We can’t wait for Rachel Sunnell’s solo show – The Story Tellers! Her opening reception is Saturday, August 2 from 5 – 7 p.m. and the show runs through Saturday, August 30, so mark your calendar! You won’t want to miss it!  According to the artist, The Story Tellers invites viewers to explore the relationships between perspective and subject matter. The show consists of 25+ works in acrylic featuring scenes from coastal locales.

Rachel says, “Through my paintings, I aim to evoke memories, feelings, and imaginative thoughts. For instance, the depiction of cotton fields might remind you of a cherished memory with your grandmother receiving a bale of cotton as a wedding gift, or it may transport you back to carefree childhood days. The interactions between creatures, such as ibises and egrets, can also spark curiosity about the social norms within their world. Each viewer brings their own narrative.”

Rachel’s love of art, and nature led her to painting and to landscape architecture. Her design background can often be seen in her work through distant views, layering and sense of color. As an acrylic painter, Rachel uses loose brush strokes and color that evoke the idea of subjective realism.

The Saturday evening reception is open to the public at no charge. Refreshments and light hors d’oeuvres will be served. We hope to see you then!

Shown: The Square Dance by Rachel Sunnell, acrylic, 16×16

Jazz Night w/AfterHours Band

Jazz Night is back this month! So join us for an evening of fine tunes and good company in the artistic atmosphere you can only experience here at Sunset River Gallery. AfterHours is a local band of seasoned musicians you know and love. The popular ensemble will bring their musical stylings to the gallery for two hours of standards and audience favorites.  Jazz Night is held from 5 to 7 p.m. every other month. Mark your calendars and plan to stop by! Sunset River Gallery is located at 10283 Beach Drive SW (NC179) in Calabash, NC. Telephone number is 910.575.5999. Updates on the gallery’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

Morning at the Beach, Debanjana Bhattacharjee, detail
Author Sunset River Gallery Posted on

Small Works show set for June 6 – July 20

Lake Trees by Clay Johnson

Sunset River Gallery in Calabash, NC is set to hold its Small Works show with an opening reception on Friday, June 6 from 5 – 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend at no charge. Small Works, which features 2D and 3D pieces runs through July 20 (leading into the gallery’s annual Summer Art Market July 18 – 20).

Gallery director Samantha Spalti said, “We tasked gallery artists with creating small art, nothing larger than 12” by 16.”  The goal is to offer fine art that visitors to the area can take home with them easily and locals may find the perfect piece for that special little corner in the house.”

The show includes a wide range of genre from oil paintings, watercolors, and photography to pottery and mosaics. Twenty-six artists will be participating, including Kari Feuer, Allison Fanelli, Roseann Bellinger, Kathleen Spicer, Susan Barnard, Ginny Lassiter, Ortrud Tyler, Janet Boschker, Ron Parent, Diane White, Debanjana Bhattacharjee, Janet Sessoms, Beryl Kirkpatrick, Vicki Neilon, Clay Johnson, Abby Warman, Simone Esquibel, Cathy Collopy O’Donnell, Sandy Nelson, Brenda Riggins, Linda Hester, Rachel Jones, Gail Black, Louis Alliota, and Sue Nern.

About Sunset River Gallery

Located in coastal Brunswick County, NC, Sunset River Gallery caters to both area visitors and a growing local community of full-time residents seeking fine art for their homes and businesses. Featuring works by over 100 fine regional artists including Betty Anglin Smith, Marcus McClanahan, Janet Sessoms, and Richard Staat, among others, the gallery is well known in the area for its selection of oil paintings; watermedia; pastels; photography; hand-blown, stained, and fused glass; pottery and clay sculpture; turned and carved wood; unique home décor items; and artisan jewelry.

There are two onsite kilns and five wheels used by the gallery’s pottery students. The gallery also offers ongoing oil/acrylic and watercolor classes as well as workshops by nationally known instructors.

 

Featured image shown above: Detail, Morning at the Beach by Debanjana Bhattacharjee, oil 10×10

Two-Day Workshop – Wildly Colorful Funky Art w/Becky Steele

Wildly Colorful Funky Art Workshop w/ Becky Steele.  Two-day class on consecutive Saturdays, August 9 & 16, 11am – 3pm,”Creativity is intelligence having fun” ~ Albert Einstein. Experimental painting is the theme of this workshop!  We’ll begin with exercises that help you tap into your “inside voices” (you know, those voices inside your head) and use them to bring forward your curiosity and your own personal organic expression.

The first layer of your painting will be the words and phrases that tell your story.

Next, we’ll introduce colors to express the emotions and feelings around and over the words.  Shapes and spaces introduced in your third layer will bring focus to your painting, expanding on and highlighting the colors and opening space for new ideas.  Marks will then be added in your fourth layer to enhance and support the shapes/spaces. Now your canvas is ready to begin your painting!

This class is for all artists and non-artists and is a lot of fun. I’ll be using acrylics but will encourage students to use their preferred paint mediums and bring multiple types of markers, pencils, etc.

I’ll use multiple games/exercises to bring out the fun and help your imagination begin to flow.  These exercises are also designed to help take away the “fear of creating”.  I use them to open the workshop and throughout, when I want to take artists to the next level. The underlying theme for this workshop will be to help artists find and identify their own brand – their own organic style. $75 non-refundable.

Materials List:

• One Large Canvas – Any size 12” x 14” or larger.

• Multi-Media Art Journal at least 8” x 10” or larger, OR 6 sheets of 8.5” x 11” or larger, mixed media paper

• Paints – I will be using acrylic paints. Bring a selection of your favorite colors, including white and black. You can use oils or watercolors but they are not as conducive to creating the quick layers we will be building.

• Assortment of brushes – make sure you have a few large brushes

• Pens, Pencils, Markers, Crayons, Charcoal, Pastels, etc – Please bring an assortment of these in multiple colors and sizes, plus black. They should be a mix of water soluble and non-soluble. I use Pebeo 4 Artist Markers but any non-soluble marker will work. I like Stabilo pencils in red, blue and black as they are water soluble. I love the Uni-Ball Signo Gel Pens in white, gold and silver.

• Any other favorite marking tools you like to use. I’ll also bring an assortment of implements and tools you can use.

• Palette knife. Okay to bring a few sizes.

• Artist’s tape

Gallery will supply: water containers, spray bottle, scissors

Sign up here!

Unstick Your Brain w/Samantha Spalti

Unstick Your Brain Workshop with Samantha Spalti. Saturday July 26th 11 – 3, a workshop for non-artists and artists

A workshop to help loosen you up. There are no wrong moves and nothing to get right – this workshop is about letting creativity and ideas flow. This is for people who want to get started painting, but don’t know where to start or for artists who find themselves stuck in a creative rut.

I’ll guide you through exercises aimed at loosening your hand, helping your brain fill perception gaps, make connections, and create new ideas. Some of the exercises will help with hand-eye-brain coordination, help you see familiar things with new eyes, and help with memory and visual thinking skills.

This is not a workshop where you leave with finished work. It is one where you will leave with ideas to pursue.

All materials will be provided. $45 non-refundable.

Sign up here!

Jazz Night w/AfterHours Band

Join us for a very special evening of fine tunes and good company in the artistic atmosphere you can only experience here at Sunset River Gallery. We’re sad to say vocalist Bryan Hughes will be leaving the band to relocate back in Indiana. This will be his final gallery performance. We’re sad to see him go, but look forward to a fun night of song and celebration! Please plan to join us from 5 – 7 p.m. and let’s give Bryan a wonderfully heartfelt send-off!  Mark your calendars and plan to stop by! Sunset River Gallery is located at 10283 Beach Drive SW (NC179) in Calabash, NC. Telephone number is 910.575.5999. Updates on the gallery’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

Acrylic Painting w/ Rachel Sunnell

Techniques & Fundamentals of Acrylic Painting

This painting class is open to acrylic and oil painters of all skill levels. I will be sharing my expertise in acrylics, as well as layout techniques, composition, value, and color theory. Students will have the opportunity to work with photo references and are encouraged to explore their own artistic expression. The curriculum will start with a review of the fundamentals, including creating essential tools such as a color wheel and value scale. We will also delve into composition through thumbnail sketches and study color harmony. Engaging classroom critiques will be a regular part of the learning process. Overall, this class aims to provide a comprehensive and enriching experience for painters looking to enhance their skills and develop their personal style.

$200 (two eight-week sessions: Monday Mornings 10:00-12:30 or Monday Afternoons 1:30-4:30) Non-refundable.

Click here to sign up!

Materials List

Online Art Companies
• Dick Blick
• Jerry’s Artarama
Note: Amazon is typically more expensive than an online company

Acrylic Paint Brand Name Options
• Golden, Windsor Newton, Matisse, are the brand names I recommend.

Required Paint Colors (First Day of Class)
• Titanium White
• Cadmium Yellow Medium
• Primary Cyan Blue
• Magenta
• Mars Black

Additonal Paint Colors (Optional suggestions)
• Ultramarine Blue
• Cadmium Red
• Orange
• Dioxazine Purple
• Burnt Sienna
• Sap Green

Brushes
• Dick Blick – Utrecht Manglon Synthetic 239-F Mixed Synthetic: #4,10,14, 18 Flats and Filberts 239-Fil #12, #4
• 1″ Flats synthetic made for oil/acrylic medium to medium/firm

 Other Materials
• 9×12” Acrylic Paper or Canson Cold Press Watercolor Pad 140lb (Do not purchase Multimedia Paper.)
• ½” artist Tape or Painters tape
• Masonite Board: large enough for the 9×12 paper
• Masterson Sta-wet Super Pro Palette – purchase at Dick Blick’s or Amazon.
• Canvases, Canvas boards as needed
• Water container ie: large plastic yogurt container
• Rag
• Cheap ruler
• Charcoal pencil white and black

Photo References
• Photocopies of painting references or photos on your iPad. Phone photos are too small.

Boundaries Reception April 26

Boundaries is set to open at Sunset River Gallery in Calabash, NC Saturday, April 26 and will run through Saturday, May 31. An opening reception is scheduled for April 26 from 2 to 4 p.m. The public is invited to attend at no charge.  A total of 34 pieces of art from artists in North and South Carolina were accepted by juror Lynn Golitz, an abstract artist from Morehead City, NC.

Participating artists were invited to explore the limits, edges, and intersections that define our lives. Where does one thing end and another begin? They examined both personal and physical boundaries, conceptual and societal boundaries.

Samantha Spalti, director for Sunset River Gallery, said,” We were looking for work that would inspire conversations on how boundaries are drawn or how they’re erased. It’s about offering a space for reflection and dialogue. I’m excited for gallery visitors to experience this show! Many of the artists (and the juror) will be at the opening reception. I hope people will engage them.”

Image: From the Boundaries show,  “What Draws Us Near” by Sharon Hill

Author Sunset River Gallery Posted on

Juried ceramics show opens March 15

Fired: Artistry in Clay is a juried show and sale of all things ceramic. Running from March 15 through April 19, it includes functional stoneware, raku art pieces, sculpture, sgraffito, wall pieces and more. All participating artists are from North and South Carolina. A Best in Show honor will be awarded at the opening reception on Saturday, March 15 between 2 and 4 p.m. A People’s Choice award will also be given at the show’s end.

The exhibition includes a striking wall piece by Hannah Fridholm. According to the artist, “The Crossing captures the fragile boundary between life and death, with a bird’s wings unfurled in flight, symbolizing transcendence and freedom.”

Betsy Parker, who has two entries in the show, says her piece titled Dancing with the Moon is a celebration. “We are living components of the world, spiritual by nature, connected by design. How can you not join the dance?”

The show, which consists of 23 pieces, also includes sgraffito by Raine Middleton and sculptures by Marilyn Kearney. Gallery hours are Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

SHOWN: Betsy Parker, Dancing with the Moon (detail), Raku

About Sunset River Gallery

Located in coastal Brunswick County, NC, Sunset River Gallery caters to both area visitors and a growing local community of full-time residents seeking fine art for their homes and businesses. Featuring works by over 100 fine regional artists including Betty Anglin Smith, Debanjana Bhattacharjee, Janet Sessoms, and Richard Staat, among others, the gallery is well known in the area for its selection of oil paintings; watermedia; pastels; photography; hand-blown, stained, and fused glass; pottery and clay sculpture; turned and carved wood; unique home décor items; and artisan jewelry.

There are two onsite kilns, and five wheels used by the gallery’s pottery students. The gallery also offers ongoing oil/acrylic and watercolor classes as well as workshops by well-known instructors.

The gallery’s carefully curated selection of investment-grade 20th century fine art is one of the largest in the Carolinas. Current inventory can be found in the gallery website’s 20th Century Artists section. It includes works by Wolf Kahn (1927-2020), Raimonds Staprans (1926), Angel Botello (1913-1986), Vladimir Cora (1951), Fritz Scholder (1937-2005), Ginny Crouch Stanford (1950), and two bronze sculptures by Milton Hebald (1930 – 2010).

Sunset River Gallery is located at 10283 Beach Drive SW (NC 179) in Calabash, NC 28467. Telephone: 910.575.5999. Website: sunsetrivergallery.com

Abstract Mark Making Workshop w/Marybeth Bradbury — new class

Our Jan. 25 workshop is full, so we’ve added another class. Drawing Towards Insight is ideal for any level abstract painter. Acrylic and mixed media instructor Marybeth Bradbury will guide us through creating shapes that have meaning  and making marks that communicate your message. We’ll be creating our own abstracted or conceptual portraits. We’ll study how to actually use the techniques we learn and how to infuse our works with soul. You’ll learn to translate your thought into marks the viewer can understand. Marybeth will cover topics such as symbolism, pattern, analog drawing, expressing emotion and more. Paper, brushes, paints and graphite will be provided. Bring your own notebook, journal, or additional sketchpad (5×8 or 8×10 okay) $85 plus $10 materials fee. Non-refundable.

Minimum 8 participants. Feb. 4 last day to sign up. Class will be cancelled if minimum isn’t reached. Call gallery for info: 910.575.5999.

Sign up here!

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